Bamboo Ecotours

5.0/5 – 143 Reviews

$1,646 pp (USD)

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Ecotourism in action

Ecotourism in action

Bamboo Ecotours

5.0/5  
(143 Reviews)
Office In:
Uganda Uganda
Size:
5-10 employees (Founded in 2012)
Member Of:
Association of Uganda Tour Operators
Tour Types:
Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
Destinations:
Rwanda RW
Uganda UG
Ecotourism in action

Ecotourism in action

Bamboo Ecotours is a Ugandan social enterprise that was founded to promote tourism as a means to transform communities out of poverty. We link travelers to authentic wildlife, cultural and local experiences that directly benefit the traveler and the local communities.

Reviews143

Professional, efficient, caring
5/5

I just finished an 8-day Uganda safari with Bamboo Ecotours, and it was a great experience.

When planning this trip, I contacted several tour operators in Uganda. Communication with Bamboo was by far the most effective. Edison showed an excellent understanding of our constraints and preferences, and the itinerary he proposed was the most practical among all the responses we received. He clearly knows the activities very well and offered concrete suggestions that proved extremely helpful.

His responses were always prompt and to the point. For example, shortly after I paid the deposit, he sent copies of our chimpanzee and gorilla trekking permits, along with the list of hotels that had already been booked for us. He also provided a helpful packing guide for the various activities and explained the subtle differences in how Uganda and Rwanda handle the East Africa Tourist Visa. This level of organization is exactly what you would expect from a professional tour operator.

The finalized itinerary included the Mabamba shoebill tour, Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, a Nile boat tour in Murchison Falls National Park, the Bigodi swamp and community walk, chimpanzee trekking in Kibale, the Kasenyi game drive and Kazinga Channel boat tour in Queen Elizabeth National Park, gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, and the Kigali Genocide Memorial. Every one of these activities turned out to be a great experience.

Unfortunately, our trip began with a major disruption. Our flight to Entebbe was severely delayed due to an aviation workers’ strike in Nairobi. During this uncertain period, Edison and our driver and guide, John, stayed in close contact with us and provided practical advice on how to deal with the situation. Thankfully, after a 15-hour delay, we arrived in Entebbe just in time for our first major activity, the Mabamba shoebill tour. John remained available the entire time, which gave us great reassurance.

We had a wonderful time traveling with John throughout the trip. He knows the destinations and activities inside out and made sure everything on our itinerary was carried out smoothly and on time. During dinners, he told vivid—and sometimes suspenseful—stories about local people and culture. He is clearly proud of where he comes from and often pointed out interesting things along the way that were not listed on the itinerary, such as scenic viewpoints during our drives. On our final day, he also handled the border transfer at the Uganda/Rwanda crossing and our airport drop-off in Kigali as smoothly as possible.

We chose the budget lodging option, and the “budget” hotels all turned out to be quite decent. Their locations were reasonably close to the places of interest. Many had beautiful gardens with birds and occasionally calm warthogs wandering around. The rooms and bathrooms were clean, and the meals and service were very good. Some places even had live music.

That said, Edison had mentioned that “mid-range lodging offers more comfort,” and after experiencing the budget options, I understand what he meant. Some rooms were quite small—just barely enough space for a bed and our luggage. A few showers required some effort to keep the water at a comfortable temperature.

Our stay in Bwindi was unfortunately the least comfortable, despite the sincere efforts of the hotel staff. We experienced intermittent but heavy rain during our stay, and the air was very humid. As a result, our clothes constantly felt damp. The shower drainage was also clogged for about a day and drained very slowly. The only place available for drying clothes was a single fireplace in the reception/dining area. I’m not sure whether the mid-range lodging option in Bwindi would be significantly better, but it is definitely something worth discussing with Edison when choosing accommodations there.

One small regret from the trip is that I did not get to see any nocturnal primates, despite including a night walk in the itinerary. If seeing nocturnal primates is high on your list, it may be worth doing additional research or discussing this in more detail with Edison during the planning stage to improve your chances.

Overall, Bamboo Ecotours is a very professional tour operator. They are pleasant to work with and clearly care about their guests, the wildlife, and the local community. I highly recommend them.

Unforgettable and memorisable
5/5

This 1 day gorilla tour to Bwindi was professional and amazing from start to end. I strongly recommend this tour and the company! Thank You <3

Bamboo Ecotours is a great company
5/5

As a seasoned traveller to Africa for over 60 years, Bamboo Ecotours has proven to be the best travel company I have ever used. Edison was very efficient and responsive and the plan we developed together unfolded smoothly, on-time and as expected. Jackson, our driver and guide, was professional, polite, trustworthy, careful and shared his passion for the land and and the wildlife. Over six days, my famly of three saw the beauty of Akagera National Park in eastern Rwanda and then made our way to Uganda for separate day treks for chimps, gorillas and golden monkeys in and around Bwindi National Park. We would definitely use Bamboo Eotours again and we give them the highest recommendation.

Edison and his employee, John, were wonderful and ensured that we had the best time in Uganda!
5/5

We cannot recommend Bamboo Eco Tours enough!

We started communicating with Edison in December for potential tours in Uganda for February. Edison was always quick to reply, efficient and always available to explain and answer any questions. He provided us with links to accomodations, a detailed itinerary and handled booking of permits and accomodations as was required. He also provided us with the contact details for our guide, John, in advance so we could communicate with him before we arrived.

We spent 8 days travelling around Uganda with John - the van was spacious and comfortable, John was always ready to answer our questions, friendly, polite and went out of his way to make us happy throughout the trip. He is well educated, funny and friendly with tourists and locals alike. His personal experiences and love for the job really made our trip more authentic and unique.

The accomodations we booked were budget-level, but we were very surprised and happy with the level of the accomodations - food was good, with a mix of local and Western options, and the owners and staff were always very friendly, polite and welcoming.

We loved our trip with Bamboo Eco Tours and couldn't recommend this company enough!

Two wonderful safaris
5/5

We arranged 2 trips with Bamboo. The first started with a flight on 12 seat Cessna from Kampala to Kasese, which I loved. I met my guide John Bosco at the airport and he took me on a game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park where we saw elephants. buffalo, hippos, hyenas and wart hogs. Then lunch, then the Kazinga Channel Boat Trip with crocodiles, hippos., lizards and wonderful birds. The highlight was seeing a family of 12 elephants come down to the water to drink. Then another game drive, where we saw a lion about 10 feet away.
The second day was a trek with the chimpanzees at Kalinzu Forest Reserve. I spent an hour watching a chimp family about 20 yards away, plus some Colobus monkeys.
The third day was the gorilla trek in Bwindi National Park. I spent an hour very close to a group of 7 gorillas, including 2 lively youngsters. One of the youngsters ran up to me and rested his head om my knee, which was a magical moment. The fourth day was a safe & enjoyable flight back to Kampala.
The second trip was for my wife and I to Murchison Falls. John met us at our hotel & Kampala & we drove to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary & stood close to 6 rhinos. We crossed the Nile the nsaw lots of wildlife, including giraffes and elephants.
Next morning we set off early for a game drive, which was marvelous. We saw a lone lioness who chased after a gazelle, then a group of four, and many other animals. After lunch we had a boat trip on the Nile towards the falls, with plentiful wildlife especially crocodiles.
The third day started with a trip to the top of the falls, which were spectacular: as dramatic is Niagara falls. Then the drive back to Kampala.
All the hotels and meals worked very well for us. John was a very helpful and informative guide, and a very good driver.

Other Safaris & Tours22  – Offered by Bamboo Ecotours

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Disclaimer

  • This tour is offered by Bamboo Ecotours, not SafariBookings.
  • This operator reserves the right to change rates advertised on SafariBookings.
  • The exact order, contents and rates of this tour are subject to availability.
  • If an accommodation is fully booked, the operator will suggest a comparable alternative.
  • Gorilla tracking permits are subject to availability.
  • This tour is subject to the terms & conditions of Bamboo Ecotours.